dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2024-7656

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-24
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Image Hotspot by DevVN plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.5 via deserialization of untrusted input in the 'devvn_ihotspot_shortcode_func' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Image Hotspot by DevVN WordPress plugin up to version 1.2.5 contains a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the devvn_ihotspot_shortcode_func function, which deserializes untrusted input without proper validation. Authenticated attackers with Author-level or higher permissions can inject arbitrary PHP objects. While the plugin itself lacks a POP chain for exploitation, the presence of additional plugins or themes with POP chains on the target system could enable remote code execution, file deletion, or data exfiltration.

MitigationUpdate the Image Hotspot by DevVN plugin to the latest version when available, or disable the plugin until a patch is released. Restrict Author-level account access and audit installed plugins/themes for potential POP chains as a defense-in-depth measure.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check the installed plugin version
    Navigate to WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'Image Hotspot by DevVN' and note the version number displayed under the plugin name. Alternatively, check the plugin's main PHP file (usually in wp-content/plugins/devvn-image-hotspot/) for the version comment header.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 1.2.6 (the patched version)
  2. Confirm Author-level or higher users exist
    Go to WordPress Dashboard > Users. Review the role assigned to each user account. Identify any users with 'Author', 'Editor', or 'Administrator' roles.
    Affected if At least one user account has Author-level or higher privileges, and that user could potentially access the vulnerable shortcode
  3. Verify the shortcode is in active use
    Search your WordPress posts, pages, and widgets for the '[devvn_ihotspot]' shortcode or any hotspot-related content that uses the plugin. Check page source or use a plugin to scan for active shortcodes.
    Affected if The shortcode [devvn_ihotspot] is present in published content and the plugin is actively rendering hotspot images on the site

You are affected if the Image Hotspot by DevVN plugin version is below 1.2.6 AND your site has any users with Author-level or higher permissions who can access content containing the plugin's shortcode.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the Image Hotspot by DevVN plugin to the latest version when available, or disable the plugin until a patch is released. Restrict Author-level account access and audit installed plugins/themes for potential POP chains as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Image Hotspot by DevVN version 1.2.6 or later

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'Image Hotspot by DevVN' plugin
  4. Check the current installed version (should be 1.2.5 or below)
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version
  6. Alternatively, download the updated plugin from the WordPress plugin repository and upload/install it
  7. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version after updating

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-7656 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data